Doc Rivers is saying the obvious about the Los Angeles Clippers this summer: they’ll be a different team without Chris Paul.
Rivers was asked by a reporter what the Clippers will look like next season at an event the team held to introduce Patrick Beverley, who L.A. acquired as part of the Paul trade. The answer could be seen as a slight to Paul if you believe he and the Clippers coach are actually feuding or not.
Biggest difference in style of play with Chris Paul gone … 'We'll have ball movement' — @DocRivers @LAClippers @HoopsonFOX pic.twitter.com/ICowfwyAG6
— Bally Sports West (@BallySportWest) July 18, 2017
“We’ll have ball movement,” Rivers said. “That’s one of the things for the most part that I’ve always preached.”
OK, Doc. Keep cooking.
With Chris’s skill you wanted to take advantage of what he could do. And he was a guy that needed the ball to make plays. And he did it so well, you kind of change to do that. If you look at my work, historically, we’ve been more of a ball movement, cut basketball team. And that’s what we’re going to get back to doing.
Basically, Rivers says there will be a lot more passing this season. Which, sure, that’s a thing you can expect without Paul, I suppose. Hopefully, that passing leads to a healthy Blake Griffin, but perhaps we shouldn’t expect him to say anything of interest in the middle of July. But, I suppose you could take that as a slight of Paul, if that were something you wanted to see.
Beverley, meanwhile, mostly said he wasn’t a replacement for Chris Paul.
Pat Beverley introduced by LAC: "I am not Chris Paul, I am not Chris Paul, I am not Chris Paul. But saying that, he is not me neither."
— Bill Oram (@billoram) July 18, 2017
No lies to be had in this press conference, that’s for sure.
